Road machine



A ril 1,623,984

55. A, sTOUF'FEfi ROAD MACHINE,

Filed Aug. 51, 1926 2 Shoots-Sheet 1 v 5 inwntor my fi LEW/7% v7: Q/ f QAttorney 4 1,623,984 p 1927' s. A. STOUFFER ROAD MACHINE Filed Aug. 51,1926 2 ShQOtl-ShQQt 3 Inventor Attorney Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

sivrITH A. masses, or" xrnevrnw, Peaasnviimx.

ears memes.

Application filed August 31, 1926. Serial no. 132,815".

spect to each other. and inasmuch as the distaricebetweenthe railsvaries, particularly on curves and bends in the road, the machine wouldrun off of the tracks.

What I propose to do is to provide a novel supporting structureincluding self adjustable axles carrying the track wheels, together withthe novel gearing for rotating the axle and simultaneously permittingsliding in order to accommodate the variation in distance between therails of the track.

The particular details and their relative arrangement will becomeapparent from the following description and drawings.

I11 the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructed inaccordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same, on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the axle construction and driving means,

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing retaining means for the axle,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the axle sections,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section, taken approximately on the line 7-7of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the supportingframe embodies a pair of spaced parallel tubes 1 connected together. bycross simply in the form of narrow strips of metal provided withU-shaped clamping bolts 3. The tie strips extend beyond the tubes andserve to support driven shafts 4 having driving gears or pinions 5 ontheir outer ends. Supported on the central cross strips 2 is a platform6 for a motor or other source of power 7 which through the medium of themeans 8 including sprockets and sprocket chains, serves to drive theshafts 4.

ties 2, which are There are four axle sections 9 provided in the presentarrangement, and eachsection telescopes slidably into one end portion ofone of the tubes 1. The tubes 1 thus function as axle housings. It willbe. noticed from Fig. 6, that each. axle includes a groove 10 at itsinner end, ai'key seat l lat its opposite end, and longit'udinalidrivingribs. 12 between its ends- Secured byakey to the outer end of each axleisv a grooved traction wheel 13 adapted to ride upon the rails let. Thenas shown in Fig.5, the inner portions of the opposed. axle, sections arearranged'in the axle housing and :in one instance, one axle section ismade fast against longitudinal movement by placing a small retaining pin15 through one of the openings 16 in the axle housing and permitting theinner end of the pin to project into the groove 10. This prevents thatparticular section from longitudinal sliding, and yet permits rotation.

The other axle section is not anchored in this way, but is permitted tosimultaneously slide and rotate. The disks 12 are so located as to meshwith the teeth of the complimental gears or pinions 5. Consequently,power will be imparted from the source 7 through the shaft a, and gear 5to the axle section by means of the driving ribs 12. At the same time,this axle will be allowed, while being driven, to slide in and out ofthe axle housing to render it self-adjustable to the varying distancesexisting between the rails of the tracks.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it will be seen that I haveevolved and produced a structure for use in road construction work,wherein the wheels supporting axles are automatically adjustable andwherein the flanges of the wheels form a longitudinal groove in theouter top surface of the roadway as shown in Fig. 2, in

order to remove the sharp corner that is otherwise present.

It is believed that by considering the device as described and shown,persons familar shaft located in spaced parallelism in the housing,means for driving said shaft, gears on the outer ends of the shaft, andlocated beyond the outer ends of the axle housing, a pair of shaftsections telescopically and rotatably mounted in the axle housing, theouter end portion of the shafts being pro- Vided with longitudinaldriving ribs in mesh with the teeth of said gears, and driving wheels onthe outer ends of said axle.

2. In a structure of the class described, a pair of spaced parallelhollow axle housings, cross strips connecting said housings together,said cross strips being longitudinally spaced from each other and extendbeyond the axle housing, a pair of shafts mounted for rotation in theextending portions of the cross strips, gears on the outer ends of theshafts located beyond the outer ends of the axle housings, a platformcarried by the central cross strips. a source of power mounted on saidplatform, driving connections between the source of power and thecentral portions of the shafts, a plurality of axle sections, therebeing two sections mounted in each axle housing, means whereby eithershaft section may be held against longitudinal sliding movement, the,outer end portions of the axle sections being provided with longitudinaldriving ribs in driving connection with the teeth of said gears, andgrooved traction wheels carried by the outer ends of said axle sections.

3. In a road machine of the class described, a supporting structureincluding an axle housing, an axle slidable and rotatable in saidhousing and formed with longitudinal driving ribs, a driving wheel fixedto the outer end of the axle, a gear meshing with the ribs of the axle,and means for driving said gear.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

SMITH A. STOUFFER.

